A combine harvester (also known simply as a “combine”) is a well-known machine used in agricultural applications. In general, combines are designed to travel through crop fields in order to harvest crop materials. Although combines may have various configurations, most are designed to separate grain from material-other-than-grain (“MOG”). Harvested grain is typically stored on board the combine and MOG is disposed back onto the crop field.
In general, a typical combine includes a crop harvesting apparatus (also referred to as a “header”), a threshing apparatus, and a grain delivery system. Although some headers may be used for various crops, a typical header is designed for use with a specific type of crop. As such, the header may be removable from the combine so that other headers configured for use with other crops may be attached in its place.
As the combine moves through a crop field, the header cuts the crops such that the resulting crop material (which at this point includes both grain and non-grain crop material) may be fed rearwardly into the threshing apparatus. Although there are various configurations of threshing apparatuses, a typical axial-flow threshing apparatus includes a threshing rotor which is mounted axially within the combine and which is substantially surrounded by a rotor housing comprising an arrangement of relatively small openings. As the crop material travels rearwardly through the threshing apparatus, the threshing rotor threshes the crop material against the inside surface of the rotor housing. This action separates grain from the MOG.
The MOG typically continues to move through the rotor housing due to the rotation of the rotor and is ultimately released out of the tail end of the rotor and is disposed onto the crop field, in some cases aided by a supplemental spreading device. The smaller grain falls through the openings of the rotor housing and onto a series of sieves that move back and forth. The sieves include an arrangement of smaller openings that further separate the heavier grain from any other non-grain crop material.
Once the grain falls through the moving sieves, it reaches a grain pan. A clean grain auger may be proximate the bottom of the pan. The clean grain auger moves the grain transversely to one side of the combine, where it travels to the grain hopper via a clean grain elevator. Typically, the moving sieves, clean grain auger, and clean grain elevator are mechanically actuated via a belt and pulley system driven by the combine engine so as to associate the speed of the sieves, auger, and grain elevator with the speed of the combine engine.
In a typical harvesting application, the combine is configured to send all of the harvested grain directly to the grain hopper. In some instances, however, it would be desirable to test and/or sample at least a portion of the harvested grain for various characteristics. Such instances could arise, for example, in research applications where crop fields may include experimental crops or other crops for which gathering test data may be advantageous. In addition, commercial harvesting applications could also benefit from an ability to test and/or sample at least a portion of the harvested grain.
As a result, there is a need in the art for a combine harvester and method configured for gathering grain test data. In addition, there is a need in the art for a combine harvester and method configured to sample at least a portion of the tested grain. In various embodiments, the combine harvester and method should provide the ability to selectively test and/or sample the grain without substantially affecting normal operation of the combine.